Hi there! I'm new. My name is Kristina and I introduced myself in the Member Section.

I am as of yet still dogless but will be rescuing a border collie in the next few months. My best guess would be either in October or November.
However, I was wondering when the best time would be to start buying dog supplies? Should I be purchasing these now or should I rather wait until I am actually very close to adopting the dog?

What supplies should I be buying first?
The place I rent has a 50pound dog limit, so I thought I could maybe already purchase a crate since I know roughly the size of dog already. Should I be purchasing dog bowls, toys, leashes, collars?

Nothing wrong in picking up stuff now, especially if you see something you like on sale! I think I had (almost) everything I needed for Abrams before I brought him home. And then I realized I didn't have a chew bone or nommy treats and had a panic attack. Lol

I'm still waiting for him to be done growing so I can buy him a nice collar. *sigh*

Ok, yay! Haha, that is what I want to do, but then I was also getting scared about what if I bought something and then its not the right fit for my dog or something. I'll probably hold off on buying any collars for that reason.

But toys and kongs and a leash are all fair game!

Next question, what size crate do you guys think I would need for a 30-50 pound border collie? Around 36 inches?

I would say it depends. Do you know the dog you are going to adopt, as in, you have seen him or her? Do you know her measurements? Or is it going to be a puppy? Will it be a pure border collie or a mix?
Because if its a mix, it could end up being bigger or smaller than expected, and even with a purebreed it could still happen, to a degree.
Personally, if you know the dog, I'll suggest you to go ahead and start buying if you see goof offers. If not, there are too many things than can vary.

I would say it depends. Do you know the dog you are going to adopt, as in, you have seen him or her? Do you know her measurements? Or is it going to be a puppy? Will it be a pure border collie or a mix?
Because if its a mix, it could end up being bigger or smaller than expected, and even with a purebreed it could still happen, to a degree.
Personally, if you know the dog, I'll suggest you to go ahead and start buying if you see goof offers. If not, there are too many things than can vary.

Those are great questions, Tashapaw!

I do not know the specific dog yet, but I do know that I am going to be looking to adopt a 1-3yo dog (not a puppy) and that the dog is going to be less than 50 pounds (as per the requirements of my otherwise dog-friendly landlord).
So I don't know exact measurements, but I do have a good idea of the range since I am specifically looking for a border collie (or mix) less than 50 pounds.

I think you'd be fine with a crate that is around 36". If anything, go into a Petstore and see the crates they have there that are on display - sometimes measurements can be deceiving! If you ended up with a dog on the smaller side of the spectrum (say, 30 pounds) I think a size smaller than the 36" would also work.

Abrams has a 42" crate....and it is BIG. It will be the perfect size when he is full grown, but even now at 50lbs, when he sleeps and curls up he takes up less than half of the crate. LOL

ETA: Also, check you your local craigslist for a good deal on crates! A lot of times people will list fairly new crates for a very good price, especially considering what you would pay in the store.

And, don't go crazy spending tons of money on toys until you know what the dog likes. A few basic cheap things, yes (and what dog doesn't like a kong?), but for example, don't drop $15 on a tug toy or an awesome plushie until you know the dog likes tug toys or awesome plushies. Some dogs are ball crazy, others don't care, some love squeaky toys, others don't...and you really won't know until you get the dog and try a few things.

If you have a name,get a tag and a leash as they are standard size.As for the collar,I would wait till you can mesure her,propally.
Yes, a kong is a safe bet and I like the chuckit balls.As for the crate,it's a good idear.Some come with dividers so that the crate can grow,with the dog.